Mythical Three Kingdoms

”I really want to clear all those war offenders out of the camp.” Chen Xi thought of that group of three to four thousand Xiliang Soldiers in the camp who clearly had psychological issues, fighting with real knives every day, and felt a headache coming on.

”Haha, don’t you know that those three to four thousand Xiliang Soldiers are actually the true elite among the Xiliang Soldiers?” Li Youu rolled his eyes and said, ”They could even birth a Military Spirit as long as you give them a collective belief in battle. They almost had it in the beginning...”

”When you were forming the Flying Bear Army, what did you tell them?” Jia Xu thought for a moment and asked. The Soldiers of the Flying Bear Army weren’t selected through any particularly difficult process; they just grabbed a bunch of outstanding Xiliang Iron Cavalry Soldiers to serve as Dong Zhuo’s Personal Army.

It’s just that the Iron Cavalry themselves were already excellent enough, and their numbers were vast. The ones selected were already brave and fierce, only lacking a reason for their fight.

”I just told them to hope that they could have unparalleled strength like a bear, and be as agile as if flying like a leopard, then ordered them to protect...” Li You sighed, everything from back then seemed like a fleeting cloud.

”They embraced that belief, and so they birthed a Military Spirit, because both you and that previous individual were the spiritual banner of the Iron Cavalry.” Jia Xu’s Voice Transmission pierced right through to the truth.

”But this kind of Soldiers are very likely to reach the point of killing for pleasure, and this is the Han Dynasty, they’re killing their own people. Wen Ru, don’t say you don’t know, they don’t stop once they start killing.” Chen Xi had long wanted to say this, that group of people were simply abnormal and should have undergone psychological counseling in modern times.

”The problem is, dispersing them will cause even greater trouble.” Li You glanced at Chen Xi and said, ”They have no skills for supporting themselves; all they know is killing. They survive by their achievements, and if you disperse them, chaos will definitely ensue.”

Chen Xi pressed his temples, his head ached, this problem was impossible to solve, the truth was as such, sending them back would cause even greater trouble, at most keeping them around was just a daily headache.

”Is there any way to stop them from killing people?” Chen Xi pondered for a while and asked. He knew it was a psychological issue, but the problem was that he didn’t know how to perform psychological counseling.

”Why are you trying to think of ways to stop them from killing?” Jia Xu looked at Chen Xi in confusion, ”You know it’s unrealistic, why not think of other ways, like letting them kill the Hu People, regardless of how many die, you won’t care.”

”That’s probably the only way.” Chen Xi said helplessly, honestly if he were to clear them out, even he would feel the pain; these Liangzhou Soldiers were truly elites with combat power off the charts. He estimated that just as he mentioned clearing them out, Wei Yan and the others would bring them right back into their own camps.

”So there’s no need to pay any mind to this.” Jia Xu said with a gentle expression, completely indifferent to the death caused by the Xiliang Soldiers, one could say that for the strategists and military generals of this era, death caused by Soldiers wasn’t a concern at all.

”Alas, if possible, I really wish to give them psychological counseling.” Chen Xi said with a bitter smile, he actually felt quite sorry for these people.

Just like Jia Xu and Li You said, these were the most elite warriors. Apart from combat, they basically knew nothing else. If they left the battlefield, they wouldn’t even be able to support themselves; all they could do was cause death.

Chen Xi didn’t even know how to compensate them; these people had no wives or children, their parents were deceased, they belonged to the ’one person eats, the whole family isn’t hungry’ category. Their most familiar environment was the battlefield and camp, and their closest were their comrades.

This group was the most adapted to battlefields, and they also liked the battlefield the most. Though they might not know why they fight, they were certainly the Soldiers who knew how to fight best.

”Maybe they themselves like this kind of life, what need is there for psychological counseling.” Li You said coldly, ”Zichuan, when did you start speaking on things you’re not skilled in?”

Chen Xi was silent, realizing suddenly that Li You made a good point, why focus on unsolvable issues? For those Liangzhou Soldiers who were like war sellers, they might find more happiness in a serving of meat; they weren’t as fragile as people from modern times.

”During the New Year, have five days of food and drinks, don’t skimp on meat and alcohol, and give the Soldiers who use real blades to fight the best weapons and armor.” Chen Xi said after a bit of silence, this was probably the most suitable reward for Liangzhou Soldiers, they had nowhere to spend money even if you gave it to them.

”Ten million coins will be used up in just five days.” Jia Xu silently turned to look at Chen Xi.

”Lord won’t mind a mere ten million coins, as for the other camps being dissatisfied, if they’re dissatisfied, let them fight!” Li You said with a cold laugh, Jia Xu’s words alluded to ’not fearing lack but inequality’, didn’t he?

”Alright then, if they’re dissatisfied, let them fight.” Chen Xi said helplessly as well, five days of unlimited meat and alcohol that doesn’t affect combat power, ten million coins was truly a friendship price, and just having twenty thousand people eat well for five New Year days caused such an expense...

Luckily, only half of the Soldiers guarded the camp during the New Year, and other camps wouldn’t have this kind of food every day, but even so, with garrison and mobile forces combined, along with forces from the counties, there were about two hundred thousand people. Just feeding them would consume tens of millions of money.

”Keeping soldiers is really terrifying.” Chen Xi sighed and said, what’s more terrifying was that he was the one in charge of the finances, until now he hadn’t been killed by the exhaustion of funds, not easy at all.

”In future, it’s better not to expand.” Li You drew back his mouth, still easier back in Liangzhou where keeping soldiers was manageable; horses came with them, one gave them long spears, meals, and some money when available.

”I think the same.” Chen Xi silently nodded, keeping soldiers was indeed a pit, really hoped Cao Cao and Sun Ce could learn from him, establishing a welfare system, instantly causing their controlled economies to collapse.

”Based on our current situation, after the Han unification, we might need to keep a million soldiers.” Li You said with extreme headache.

The biggest problem with Chen Xi’s current welfare measures was that they cost too much; when the country was unified, keeping a million soldiers, coupled with weaponry, averaged about sixty billion coins a year...

This was a number capable of dragging a normal Empire down. Although it provided immense benefits, when thinking about a century later when the country wouldn’t have so much money, major problems would inevitably arise!

Those who don’t plan for all generations aren’t worth planning for a moment, what Li You was considering wasn’t just a simple generation; he was thinking a century ahead. Although, inserting Military Men between the aristocratic family and commoners seemed like a wonderful trinity, the question was, could the Han Dynasty sustain it?

Li You truly reached a realm of power swaying the world, he clearly knew the Han Dynasty’s annual tax revenue, and he was aware of Chen Xi’s capability, but the issue was, Chen Xi was a person, not a system, and people have finite life. This couldn’t end simply with ”I can do it.” (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian.com to give recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)